CUTTACK: Locals are opposing broadening of a road from Bairoi Square on Phulnakhara-Niali State Highway-60 to Swami Vivekananda National Institute of Rehabilitation Training and Research (SVNIRTAR) at Olatpur by Roads and Buildings department.
“The road is being constructed to improve communication to SVNIRTAR which is a welcome move. But we observed that a stretch of around 500 metre of the one km-long road is being constructed parallel to the embankment of Prachi river whose river bed has been encroached upon,” said Prachi Prajna Parishada chairman Ashwini Mohapatra in a letter to Cuttack collector.
The width of the river bed through which the road is being constructed is 10 metre against 15 metre on record. After the road is constructed, the river bed will further shrink to around 6-7 metre, the letter said. “We are apprehending if the river bed is squeezed, it will make it prone to floods and will affect people of areas from Phulnakhara to Olatpur during rainy season as all subsidiary canals and safai channels are linked to the river at many places.
Regular water flow will cease from Olatpur to Bay of Bengal, resulting in flowing back of saline water from Astarang mouth throughout the river bed in course of time which will adversely affect agriculture and drinking water of Prachi civilisation,” stated the letter while urging the collector to look into the matter and provide relief to the people of 12 gram panchayats which will be affected.
Mohapatra also requested the collector to make an alternate arrangement like construction of a bridge on the portion of the river parallel to the embankment to ensure the river bed is not affected. “It is a matter of utmost regret that at a time when the Central government, following the request of MP Aparajita Sarangi, is initiating steps for rejuvenation of Prachi river, the road is being constructed encroaching upon the river bed,” said local social activist Prakash Nanda. Collector Bhabani Shankar Chayani said he would look into the matter.